Tokyo Love Letter - Hibiki (English)

A simple story...This is a love letter that the writer quietly slipped between the lines,through two souls brought together by chance...For Tokyo, the city that forever lives in the writer's heart.A city where magic, hope, and dream blend into one—embracing every corner with a warmth felt only by the heart.For anyone who has ever walked its streets…and fallen in love, with the city.(This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to actual names, events, or places is purely coincidental.)___________________________________________________________________A chilly and sunny Friday in Tokyo.Autumn leaves had begun to fall, covering the sidewalks of Aoyama in a quiet, golden layer that felt peaceful—at least for some. But not for Sakura (24), an office lady working at a trading company, and tonight, like many others, she had to give up some of her evening time for overtime with her division.Most of her days were spent behind a desk, buried in numbers, reports, and looming dead

Day by day, time continued to slip quietly past. Before she realized it, checking Heri’s Instagram Stories had become one of Sakura’s most anticipated routines. She even began asking herself—why was she so drawn to his posts? Why did her heart skip when his updates appeared on X or a new photo showed up on his feed?And yet... she had never once dared to send him a message.Winter had begun to creep in. The air grew colder, and shop windows were slowly dressed in Christmas ornaments. But still, Sakura never liked or commented on anything he posted.Until one day—perhaps out of nowhere—an impulse stirred in her. She decided to post a Story of her own. Standing on the sidewalk in Shibuya, a paper cup of coffee in her hand, Sakura lifted her phone. Her fingers trembled slightly as she framed the shot.“Maybe... maybe he’ll see it,” she whispered to herself.A few seconds later, she uploaded it. Simple. Just her hand holding the coffee cup, with Shibuya’s crowd blurred in the background.

That night, Tokyo feel a little warmer than usual.Sakura and Heri walked side by side, the city lights reflecting softly in small puddles on the pavement. Sakura broke the silence in a gentle voice.“Did you see Mount Fuji from the sky earlier?”“Yeah, the captain and I spotted it,” Heri replied with a small smile.“It was beautiful. I’ll show you a photo later.”Sakura turned toward him, her eyes lighting up.“I want to see your sky photos. I want to know… what kind of things you get to see from up there.”Heri nodded slowly, still smiling.“Sure. I’ll show you later.”A few minutes later, they arrived at the restaurant Sakura had picked—Uokin, a well-known seafood place in Shinbashi. A wooden sign and small lanterns hung by the entrance, giving off a simple yet elegant charm.“Sorry if it’s not into your liking,” Sakura said shyly. “I wasn’t sure where to go, but this place is famous for its seafood. I hope that’s okay?”“Not at all. I love seafood,” Heri answered without hesitatio

“Gruuukkk…”A loud grumble broke through the moment of silence.Sakura froze. Her face turned beet red in embarrassment.“You didn’t eat breakfast, did you, Sakura-san?” Heri asked gently.She gave a small nod, unable to meet his eyes.Heri smiled and held out his hand.“Come on.”Sakura looked up at him.“Are we going now?”“Not yet,” Heri said with a chuckle.“Let’s stop by the konbini first. You look like you’re running on empty, definitely hungry isn’t it? Grab some onigiri or bread—something to keep your energy up. You must be thirsty too, right?”Without saying a word, Sakura followed his lead. Her hand brushed against his casually—no hesitation, no awkwardness. Somehow, it just felt… natural.“Wait... do I smell bad?” Sakura muttered, leaning toward her shoulder, trying to sniff.“Huh?” Heri let out a soft laugh.“Nope, you’re good. Really.”Sakura blushed again. She realized she'd been running nonstop since leaving her apartment.Inside the convenience store, she hesitated in

They walked slowly toward Daiba Station, boarding the Yurikamome for the ride back to Shinbashi.They need to go—Heri has his duty called, and the night sky is waiting.As for Sakura… deep down, she wished for one thing.Please… just stop time. Not now. Not yet.A quiet ache stirred in her chest. Is this… the end? Is it over already?What she didn’t know is that Heri felt the same.If only… his flight weren’t tonight. If only… he had one more day.He wanted to take her to the Yebisu Garden Place observation deck.Wanted to walk through the chaos of Shibuya at night with her—like two young people on a spontaneous date.But the feelings beginning to blossom between them were still neatly folded, still guarded.Neither of them brave enough yet to fully unravel what they felt.The train rolled forward, steady, toward Shinbashi.Suddenly, Sakura’s head rested softly on Heri’s shoulder. She had fallen asleep.Heri was surprised—but didn’t move.It had been a long day… for both of them.He s